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INSIGHTS El Paso Science Museum first opened its doors to the public in 1980, in
the basement of the El Paso Electric Company building in downtown El Paso. The science
museum followed three years of intense study, campaigning, and fund raising by small
group of community leaders. They had identified a lack of opportunity for the study
of science in local schools, and determined that the establishment of a hands-on
science museum was critical to future development of the region's youth.
INSIGHTS has come a long way since it opened its doors in that fledgling museum.
It has become an important facility for the the study of science, and is now located
in a freestanding building near City Hall and the El Paso Museum of Art. An experienced,
professional director and a fully trained staff replaced the original all-volunteer
staff.
Permanent exhibits, such as the Tesla Coil, Centrifugal force spinner, among others
- along with traveling exhibits under contract from the Smithsonian Institution
and other recognized scientific entities comprise INSIGHTS entire exhibit floor-space.
INSIGHTS has never been included in the City of El Paso Budget. It is a privately
funded, tax-exempt organization created under Section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal
Revenue Code, and all donations are tax deductible. Private support is the only
resource that makes INSIGHTS happen.
INSIGHTS Is a Privately Funded Museum
INSIGHTS has never been included in the City of El Paso Budget. It is a privately
funded, tax-exempt organization created under Section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal
Revenue Code, and all donations are tax deductible. Private support is the only
resource that makes INSIGHTS happen.
INSIGHTS ACTIVITIES
Temporary Exhibits
One area of the INSIGHTS museum is dedication to traveling exhibits. The first exhibit
was Dinosaur Land, drawing approximately 120,000 visitors in four months. Since
then, there have been exhibits on Cats, King Tut, Earth and Sky, Sharks, Wolves,
Reptiles, and others.
These exhibits average two changes per year, and are a combination of hands-on activities
and displays. The current exhibit is the SCIENCE OF THE TITANIC, complete with simulators,
scale-model icebergs, and artifacts!
Permanent Gallery
An interactive permanent science exhibits engage visitors about numerous
scientific areas including light, sound, work, heat, optics, and electricity.
Programs
INSIGHTS has an ongoing, extensive series of science programs, including activities
that are coordinated with the current traveling exhibits, the Saturday Science Club,
Summer Science activities, and classes that have many subjects for school breaks.
Last year, there were more than seventy science subjects covered.
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